Call it great news for lovers of technology, but maybe not so much for the telecommuter who likes to stay in her pajamas the whole day. Telepresence for the boob tube has arrived.
France-based Technicolor will supply a custom-based telepresence adapter to Comcast. That will allow the cableco to deliver HD videoconferencing through TV sets. Comcast’s subscribers will be able to use their existing set-top boxes and at-home wireless networks to access the service. The adapter includes an HDMI input and output, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, RF4CE control, external USB and SD card slot, and an integrated external camera and microphone.
“As we were planning to create an HD video conferencing service offering for our subscribers, we engaged Technicolor to design and develop the adapter based on their successful track record delivering custom-built solutions, and their ability to develop innovative products in a cost-effective, timely and seamless manner," said Steve Reynolds, senior vice president of home networking for Comcast."
“The emergence of high-definition video conferencing from the home television set is a major step towards a truly connected home and we are excited to be at the forefront of this consumer electronics innovation," said Mark Samuel, general manager of the set-top box business unit at Trident Microsystems, which provides the product’s semiconductor solution.
Philadelphia-based Comcast first demonstrated the telepresence offering at The Cable Show 2011 in Chicago in June. The cableco, which has approximately 23 million video subscribers nationally, has plans to do market trials before the year is out.
